What about all those individuals and families across Canada who want private health insurance coverage and can’t get it due to pre-existing conditions — or can’t afford it? This is a question our provincial and federal governments need to address.

Private healthcare costs in Canada have grown dramatically over the last 40 years. Adjusting for population growth and inflation, private healthcare costs have increased by over 220 percent on average since 1975 — or around $1,800 per person.

The Dutch health care system is often cited as an example of an efficient, universally-accessible system that has successfully integrated a strong competitive market component into it. In a June 2014 report by the Commonwealth Fund, the Dutch system was ranked in the middle of the pack of the 11 countries under study.